I know there are numerous threads about the location for the game v Stains, but i cant help thinking that we are part of a much bigger peein contest between the 2 broadcasters.

One has the premiership rights the other has 1st pick on the CC games.

Im trying to be positive and think the town as a whole is a victim of the warriors succes in RL and the TICS giving it a real dig to hang on in the PL with some recent performances.

However i cant help there is a much bigger agenda going on between the national broadcaster and SKY.

I can't help thinking that it's more a case of football always being a much bigger deal than rugby league. That is the tug-o-war that we in Wigan, in particuar, are caught up in the middle of. For such a small town, we do have two amazingly successful clubs, but if you look at it from an RL perspective, the ground-sharing deal is going to remain very one-sided for as long as the footballers are at the top level. That's one reason, IMO, why there will never be universal support for Latics in this town.

I couldn't agree more and for me the sharing of the stadium between ourselves and the Latics has come to a bitter end. I would rather share with Leigh or play at Orrell than to ever play at the DW again.

I don't personally think it's that big a crisis. But it is an embarassment. Even if this particular incident turns out to be a storm in a teacup, it hasn't made us look good.

It's actually a pity from a 'unified town' POV too, as I thought I detected a gradual reduction in the hostility levels from the rugby crowd. But all that will have been reversed now.

I wouldnt necessarily blame the pathetics or Whelan. For me the problem lies at the feet of the Premier League who think they can dictate to every other sport going because their precious fooseball is seen as the greatest sport in the world

It really is a joke and the main reason i cant wait to see Latics back in the championship (which will happen sooner or later)

Reason i ask the question or state my view, is there is no real winner, If BBC Gets the game on the saturday then The PL / SKY will get it in the neck big time and IL will be hopping mad wanting the lost revenue for going to another venue which at such short notice im sure will carry a premium, also with SKYs Own funding of the SL it wont exactly bode well with people if there flagship sport is riding rough shod over other sports they sponsor !

If the BEEB dont get the Staurday game they will also want the compensation for potential revenue lost and therefore will also dig there heels in order to get the Game or the Money.

Its all speculation as to where the game will or wont be played as quite rightly the clubs havent said anything as yet until all avenues have been looked at the only thing we can ask for is a real common sense approach by DW / IL and as cruncher quite validly says they have it in there hands to ensure there is no increased ill feeling between the Latics and Warriors.

Otherwise lets blame Murdoch, hes having a bad week !

How would the BBC lose revenue from not showing Wigan v St Helens?

As many other have pointed out, there is no Premier League rule stopping us playing at the DW on Saturday. It's purely down to the DW management (ie Whelan).

Every one is forgetting who the fault really lies at, The RFL. Why put the quater finals on the final weekend of the premiership season? Firstly as the way the thread is going you could potentially see this happening with ourselves. Secondly for the majority of sports fans they would be glued to the box watching the climax to the footie season. The potential extra viewers were wasted on this particular weekend any way.

Also the ruling is detailed PL Rule 1.26, saying: “Each club shall take all reasonable steps to maintain its pitch in good condition throughout the season.” I aint no solicter but a couple of loopholes, reasonable steps pitch is in good condition is 22 hours not long enough even though I think it is said no activity to take place in a period no less than 24hours before a Premiership football match.Secondly it is the end of the season and putting 2&2 together over the next month or so there is no RL matches to be played on there, so is the pitch getting re-laid or repaired?

Also if the BBC want to show the match so uch why not move the kick off to 12:00 to accomodate the 24 hour rule? What would happen if the PL insisted the match not to be played at the DW but the BBC still insisted on showing it. Who would pay for the neutral venue? IMO it should be the broadcaster.

Quite simply, Wigan. They "currently" are carrying the cost of holding the quarter final. Any relocation to another ground would simply mean that Wigan would have to contribute to the costs there. Given that the general-rugby-watching-public were wondering what would happen in such a scenario last Sunday, why are there not plans put in place (by the experts) "just in case".



PS.....there's a stadium free that weekend in Warrington, and if I remember correctly you did Ok there in the semi v Saints last year.

Havent they already paid for the rights to show the CC games ?

Wasted money if they cant show it and if they do show the game i am pretty sure it will be distributed to various countries to air

my mistake

Its getting tasty reading on twitter BBC have the right to pick and want the plumb tie, DW countering by saying IL dig your heels in get it on sky on friday .

Who has final decision ??

Sod Sky, get it on free to air

www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-4507763 Latics kick off at 3pm Sunday. Come on IL, get our game on Saturday, at home, with a 12.30 KO time

www.wigantoday.net/sport/wigan-w ... -1-4507763 Latics kick off at 3pm Sunday. Come on IL, get our game on Saturday, at home, with a 12.30 KO time

Don't take the "24 hour rule" too literally. Its actually that the pitch has to be "ready and undistrurbed" the day before as well as the day of the game.

im going to stop posting in this thread now

at least your learning something new

So you're saying the RFL should schedule the entire sport's calendar around when Wigan may be able to get agreement from their landlords to play at home, should they get to the quarter finals and have a home draw???

Commercial reality, like it or not, for Rugby League is that the timing of the Challenge Cup rounds are driven by the broadcast partners. It's not too much to assume that clubs should be able to get their grounds available on one day or another - no other shared ground seems to have the same problem of being unavailable both Saturday and Sunday.

Secondly for the majority of sports fans they would be glued to the box watching the climax to the footie season. The potential extra viewers were wasted on this particular weekend any way. Just for clarity where am I saying that the calender should be moved because of Wigan? Common sense will say the climax to the football season will take over the media. You only need to watch the advert for Sky sports, any mention of rugby league? No, but plenty of football.

I dont really see how people can blame the BBC for this. They have the primary rights and are well within their rights to choose the plum tie if they wish. Similarly the RFL cant be expected to rearrange the season around a different sport and individual teams. The whole situation regarding the JJB/DW Stadium is a joke and we have no one to blame but those who led us into such a deal and Dave Whelan.

This.

I wish the RFL would have the balls to state to Whelan that the game is played on Saturday as BBC have payed for the rights and it can't be played Sunday due to Latics, or it isn't played at the DW at all and he loses the potential 20,000 plus gate and whatever percentage of that he will receive. His choice.

Whatever the ground sharing agreements, the RFL should never be held to ransom by a football chairman.

There will never be 20,00 on but just tell him he can shove the world cup where the sun doesn't shine and play it somewhere else

It's our stadium too therefore we play Saturday and latics play Sunday simple! Mr W seems to forget when he held his hand out and took all our tesco's money we bought as much of a share as the footy if not more! Why should we give up a home advantage against saints its just wrong!

It's HIS Stadium and if HE says we can't play then we can't play (all will be in the lease I presume otherwise there wouldn't be a problem)